1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile devices and, more particularly, to cursor navigation for mobile devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computing devices normally provide text entry capabilities for users. With desktop and laptop computers, text entry is facilitated by a full-size (or nearly full-size) keyboard and a pointing device. The pointing device can be a mouse, a trackball, etc. which serves to move a cursor. The cursor is displayed on a display of the computing device. The cursor designates the position or location where new text is to be entered or where existing text is to be edited.
Unfortunately, small scale computing devices (e.g., cellular phones, two-way pagers, etc.) tend to have limited size keypads and lack any pointing device to provide cursor movement. As a result, it is often tedious and time consuming for users to edit text on these small scale computing devices. To move a cursor (e.g., without deleting text) for purposes of editing text, a user is conventionally only able to move the cursor left or right by a single character by pressing left and right arrow keys, respectively, on the keypad. When the cursor is to be moved more than several words from the cursors current position, the user is thus required to press one of the arrow keys numerous times (one press for each character position). The numerous key presses that are required are burdensome and annoying to users. Due to limited processing capabilities of these small scale computing devices, the responsiveness to updating the display with the new cursor position following each arrow key press is also sluggish. While some small scale computing devices allow a button""s function to be repeated when the button remains held down, attempting to move the cursor in such a manner is also painfully slow to users because of the limited processing capabilities.
Thus, there is a need for improved techniques to navigate a cursor through text on a small scale computing device.
Broadly speaking, the invention relates to improved approaches for efficiently navigating a cursor to an edit location within previously entered text so that the text can be edited. Through use of the invention, users are able to position a cursor within previously entered text more quickly and with greater ease than conventionally possible. The invention is particularly well suited for small scale mobile devices having reduced size displays and limited keys such as mobile phones (e.g., cellular phones), two-way pagers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), or other two-way mobile communication devices.
The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, a computer readable medium, an apparatus, and a system. Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below.
As a method for navigating through text being displayed on a display of a mobile device, one embodiment of the invention includes at least the acts of: receiving a cursor navigation input that requests movement of a cursor in a particular direction with respect to the text; determining whether the cursor is within a word of the text; advancing the cursor to a next character of the text in the particular direction when the determining determines that the cursor is within a word of the text; and advancing the cursor to a next word of the text in the particular direction when the determining determines that the cursor is not within a word of the text.
As a method for navigating a cursor through text displayed on a display of a mobile device, the mobile device having a keypad, one embodiment of the invention includes at least the acts of: receiving a navigation input via the keypad, and determining whether the navigation input requests movement of the cursor in a forward or backward direction with respect to the text. When it is determined that the navigation input requests movement of the cursor in the forward direction, at least the following acts are performed: determining whether a next character in the text in the forward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter; advancing the cursor one character in the forward direction when the determining determines that the next character in the text in the forward direction from the cursor is not a word delimiter; and advancing the cursor in the forward direction until just before a next word delimiter or the end of the text, whichever occurs first, when the determining determines that the next character in the text in the forward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter. Alternatively, when it is determined that the navigation input requests movement of the cursor in the backward direction, at least the following acts are performed: determining whether a next character in the text in the backward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter; advancing the cursor one character in the backward direction when the determining determines that the next character in the text in the backward direction from the cursor is not a word delimiter; and advancing the cursor in the backward direction until just before a next word delimiter or the beginning of the text, whichever occurs first, when the determining determines that the next character in the text in the backward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter.
As a computer readable medium including at least computer program code for navigating a cursor through text displayed on a display of a mobile device, the mobile device having a keypad, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: computer program code for receiving a navigation input via the keypad, the navigation input requesting movement of the cursor in a particular direction with respect to the text; computer program code for determining whether a next character in the text in the particular direction from the cursor is a word delimiter; computer program code for advancing the cursor one character within the text in the particular direction when the computer program code for determining determines that the next character in the text in the particular direction from the cursor is not a word delimiter; and computer program code for advancing the cursor within the text in the particular direction until just before a next word delimiter when the computer program code for determining determines that the next character in the text in the particular direction from the cursor is a word delimiter.
As a mobile device, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: a display configured to display text entered by a user; a keypad to facilitate text entry by the user; and a processor configured to control operation of the mobile device. The processor is configured to provide assisted navigation through the text being displayed on the display by operating to receive a cursor navigation input that requests movement of a cursor in a particular direction with respect to the text, to determine whether the cursor is within a word of the text, to advance the cursor to a next character of the text in the particular direction when it is determined that the cursor is within a word of the text; and to advance the cursor to a next word of the text in the particular direction when it is determined that the cursor is not within a word of the text.
The advantages of the invention are numerous. Different embodiments or implementations may yield one or more of the following advantages. One advantage of the invention is that cursor navigation is more efficient and less burdensome for users of mobile devices. Another advantage of the invention is that a user is often able to move a cursor within text with fewer button presses and greater speed.